Douluo Continent: What should I do if I don't have a cheat system?

Chapter 240 Arrival in Beijing: Forkfish Joins Steel Rolling Mill

These days, as long as you can have enough to eat and won't starve, you can be anywhere.

The others chose to stay in Liyuan Village, while Li Aiguo (Jerry) and his group of five set off with some dry food and water.

When they left, the village chief and many others came to see them off. People who had fled the famine together with them all came. Although they didn't know their names, they had become somewhat familiar with each other along the way, so they all came to see them off.

The group of five ate and drank their fill and walked quickly, arriving at the city gate of the capital before noon.

When I got to the door, I was stopped by the guard standing there.

After inquiring about the situation, they took the five people directly to the neighborhood committee, spoke with Director Wang of the neighborhood committee, and then told the five of them to wait there.

Not long after, someone came to inform him that Zhao Liu's junior apprentice had come to pick him up. Zhao Liu said goodbye to the four of them and then left.

Then a man who looked somewhat like a leader arrived. After Director Wang warmly received him, he also took Grandpa Wang Tiezhu away.

By noon, the three people were still there, and the neighborhood committee had not prepared any food for them.

The old man leading the group and the butcher were both hungry, so they took out the grilled fish they had brought and started eating. Li Aiguo (Jerry) didn't feel anything yet, but when he saw the other two start eating, he also took out his grilled fish and started eating.

Although the grilled fish had cooled down, the aroma still wafted out, and the neighborhood committee members quickly came over following the smell.

Seeing the three of them eating grilled fish, I was taken aback. Weren't they refugees? Eating grilled fish while fleeing famine?

However, he didn't ask any more questions, swallowed a few times, and left. In those days, although the capital was wealthy, you couldn't just buy food if you had money; you also needed tickets.

In the afternoon, a man who looked similar to the elderly leader came over.

The elderly leader stood up and said, "Li Aiguo, the butcher, my elder brother has arrived. I'll be leaving now. We'll meet again someday."

After saying this, the elderly leader bowed and took his leave.

Around 6 p.m., a man from the capital's slaughterhouse came and took the butcher away.

Jerry was left all alone when Director Wang walked over.

"Kid, looking at your file, you're only fifteen, and you're really tall. Those with relatives have gone to stay with them, and those who could be arranged jobs have been arranged. Now that things have just calmed down, there's a shortage of people in all positions in the capital. You're a scholar, do you know anything else besides studying?"

Director Wang said with a smile that many people fleeing famine come to Beijing every day. If they have a skill, their identity will be checked and found to be correct, and then they will be assigned jobs.

Those who don't have any special skills will be assigned sanitation worker jobs.

However, most of them were older people. Li Aiguo, who had just turned fifteen, was still in school in Beijing.

Li Aiguo had no relatives and no money; he was just lucky to escape the famine and reach the capital.

Li Aiguo thought for a moment, but really couldn't remember what he had. His diary didn't mention anything about what he was good at, which put him in a bit of a predicament.

I don't really have any special skills in this life. Thinking about my past life and what I know, I wonder what I can do to be useful in this world. After thinking for a long time, I can only think of fishing.

"Director Wang, I know how to fish and catch fish. There are fifty-three people in our group who fled famine, and I'm very good at catching fish."

After Jerry finished speaking, he waited for Director Wang's reply.

In fact, Director Wang had already inquired about it. More than half of the skilled fishermen in the fleeing famine group had been intercepted by Liyuan Village. Otherwise, these people could have formed a fishing team in the capital and replenished the city's supplies.

These days, there are many people fishing, but few people actually catch fish, and even fewer people go into the water to catch them.

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When Li Aiguo and his four companions arrived, Director Wang sent people to investigate them, determined to ensure their integrity.

They were initially pleased to learn that half of their team were skilled fish catchers, and that Li Aiguo was even better than the others. However, upon seeing the subsequent information, they became angry. The village chief of Liyuan Village had dared to steal their place and have all the fish registered in their village.

Liyuan Village is close to Beijing, so it often interacts with people from the capital.

In the past, when we encountered people fleeing famine, we would wish to personally escort them to the city, fearing that they would stay in our village. But now, some powerful people have intercepted them directly.

I really underestimated this village chief Zhao.

However, Jerry is the most capable. The people who stayed in the village were all taught by this kid. The old man probably knew that he could fool some ordinary people, but he couldn't keep such talents, so he didn't force him.

However, this child is good at catching fish, which many people can attest to. The neighborhood committee can't keep him, since they don't have a purchasing department.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Kid, I can't afford to send you to school, but I can find you a job. I'll take you there tomorrow. You can spend the night in the break room next door. You brought a lot of grilled fish, so I won't prepare any other food for you."

"Thank you, Director Wang!"

After saying that, Director Wang left. Li Aiguo went to the rest room next door. It was very simple, with a small bed and a table.

When Li Aiguo arrived, he had already figured out where the toilet was. He went over, washed his face, and came back.

The grilled fish was a bit cold, but at this time, most of the neighborhood committee members had already left work. The old man guarding the gate was still there, and through the window, I could see that he had lit a brazier.

Jerry went up to the old man, exchanged a few pleasantries, gave him a grilled fish, and then the two of them started grilling it over the fire pit.

The old man hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and when he received the fish, his hands were trembling with excitement.

After finishing his meal, Li Aiguo returned to the rest room at the old man's warm invitation and immediately fell asleep on the bed.

Li Aiguo, who had just lain down, did not realize that the grilled fish he had just eaten was being rapidly broken down and digested in his stomach.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Li Aiguo woke up, stretched, and felt incredibly comfortable; he hadn't slept this well in days.

After washing my face, I ran to the door to chat with the old man.

Through conversation, he finally learned what kind of society this was.

Two years ago, the war ended and China was founded. Now, three years into the new China, everything is being rebuilt. The country is vigorously developing all sectors, so there is a need for talent in all fields. Therefore, among these refugees, anyone with a skill can easily settle down.

Isn't this period equivalent to the 1950s in my previous life?

No wonder there are still people fleeing famine; in remote areas, no one cares, and the people are starving.

After chatting with the old man, Li Aiguo understood his current predicament. It was not easy, and he could only take it one step at a time.

However, considering that I now have a photographic memory, can multitask, and am in relatively good health, I shouldn't starve to death.

Not long after, Director Wang came to work. He saw Li Aiguo sitting at the door chatting with the old man. He didn't say much, went into the neighborhood committee, put down his things, and then came out to call Li Aiguo to go somewhere with him.

The two walked and soon arrived at the gate of a large factory. After Director Wang greeted them, he led Li Aiguo inside.

Director Wang led Li Aiguo straight to the factory director's office.

Once inside, Director Wang immediately said, "Director Ding, I've brought you some talent this time. You'd better thank me properly!"

"Oh my, Director Wang, you're a rare guest indeed! You've personally brought people here; you must be quite a talent. Is this the young man? He's very handsome. Tell me about him."

It seems that Director Ding and Director Wang are quite familiar with each other, and Director Ding was very welcoming to Director Wang.

"It's a bit early to call him 'young man.' His name is Li Aiguo, and he just turned fifteen. He's a refugee from famine. Don't let his age fool you; he's a master at catching fish. On the way to escape famine, he led more than fifty people, and in addition to having enough to eat, each of them was given four fish."

At this point, Director Wang fell silent, and Factory Director Ding quickly took out cigarettes and handed them over.

"Looks like this kid's really good at catching fish! Our factory wants him!"

"Director Ding, don't rush. This kid not only knows how to catch fish, but he's also a scholar. Here's what I'm thinking: your steel rolling mill has a purchasing department, right? We can arrange a temporary purchasing job for him. He can go to school during the week, and on Saturdays and Sundays, he can lead a few people to catch fish. After he finishes school, he can start working formally. What do you think?"

Director Wang was very thoughtful. He saw that Li Aiguo was fair-skinned and clean-cut, and looked like a scholar. Although he didn't know how well he did academically, he thought that sending him to school would give him a diploma and a higher salary.

Although Director Wang and Li Aiguo were not related, and Li Aiguo had a very unapproachable demeanor, Director Wang felt a sense of closeness to Li Aiguo, which is why he considered all this.

This is because Jerry has fairy blood, which makes him close to nature and makes others feel comfortable.

"This is a bit tricky, Director Wang!"

Factory Director Ding said with some difficulty, "There has never been such a situation in the factory before."

"I know you're having a hard time, so let me show you Li Aiguo's fishing skills first before you decide. We're free today, let's go take a look together!"

Director Wang said confidently that the investigation data clearly recorded that Li Aiguo alone could catch at least two or three hundred fish in a day.

At this moment, Li Aiguo spoke up.

"Director Wang, when we were fleeing famine, our tools weren't very handy. Isn't this a steel rolling mill? Could you make us some tools? I promise I can catch even more if we have the tools."

"See that? This patriotic little kid is very confident! Director Ding, what do you say?"

"Alright then, it won't take much time anyway. But we haven't made these tools before, so could you teach the workers?"

"Okay, thank you, Director Ding."

Afterwards, Factory Manager Ding led Jerry to a workshop where many workers were processing parts.

Factory Director Ding led Li Aiguo to a worker who looked a bit older.

"This is an eighth-grade fitter from the factory. What do you need? Let him do it for you. The factory will provide the materials."

"Okay, thank you, Director Ding. It will be ready soon; they're just small items."

The other workers were puzzled, but the people the factory manager brought didn't dare say anything.

Under Jerry's direction, the master craftsman quickly made two harpoons, all made of metal, 1.5 meters long and 1.5 centimeters thick, with sharpened tips and barbs, and a small hole at the tail.

Li Aiguo touched it; it felt very comfortable. He then found some thicker thread and began weaving it in the upper middle part, which would be the handshake area.

They found another thin but sturdy rope, not very long, about two or three meters long, tied one end to the tail of the harpoon, and the other end to Li Aiguo's wrist.

The harpoon is now finished, with only one fork head, unlike the previous life where it had four or five forks.

Because Li Aiguo is skilled, there's little difference between one or multiple times.

After finishing making the tools, he returned to the factory director's office. Director Wang and Factory Director Ding's eyes lit up when they saw Li Aiguo's harpoon.

Then Director Ding called two people from the purchasing department and had them bring bamboo baskets.

Not far from the steel mill, there is a river. Because it is a flowing river, a few people occasionally come to catch fish, but they don't catch much. Most people find places to fish.

Upon arriving at the riverbank, Li Aiguo quickly discovered a good spot, where the water was shallow and there was plenty of aquatic vegetation.

He took off his shoe, which had a hole in it, and went straight into the water.

Without making Li Aiguo wait, a large fish, weighing about five or six pounds, swam over. Without any hesitation, Li Aiguo threw the harpoon at it like a javelin.

The harpoon pierced the large fish instantly. Li Aiguo pulled on the rope behind him, dragged the fish over, and quickly removed the still-struggling fish. He then turned around and threw it onto the shore.

While Director Ding and Director Wang were still in a daze, the fish was dropped at their feet. The two men carrying bamboo baskets quickly went over and picked up the fish.

Then, Li Aiguo used both hands to spear the fish onto the shore one after another. Later, when there were fewer fish, Li Aiguo took out the last piece of sesame seed cake that he had left for several days.

After crushing it, scatter it around yourself.

Li Aiguo's spearing action was very pleasing to watch; Director Ding and Director Wang watched it for a long time and still found it very interesting.

Before anyone knew it, the two men carrying bamboo baskets told Factory Director Ding that the baskets were full. Factory Director Ding was surprised and looked back to find that the two baskets were not only full, but also piled up.

There were too many fish; the two of them couldn't carry them anymore.

"Go and notify a truck driver to come over. I want to see how many we can catch in a day. Also, go to the kitchen and get twenty people to clean the fish. We can do it right by the river."

After giving his instructions, Director Ding turned to look at Li Aiguo, who was still spearfishing, and found him increasingly pleasing to the eye.

They continued foraging until noon. Director Ding checked the time and it was 11:30. He then called out to Li Aiguo to come ashore, saying it was time to eat.

Factory Director Ding excitedly announced that he was preparing a whole fish feast for Li Aiguo and Director Wang. Upon hearing that they would be eating fish, Li Aiguo opened his mouth, but after seeing the excited Factory Director Ding, he fell silent.

Director Wang noticed this and said, "What whole fish feast? Li Aiguo is tired of eating fish after fleeing famine all the way. If you don't prepare something good for him, I'll take him to another factory."

"Director Wang, no, no, no! I just forgot! The others are a must, they are a must!" Factory Director Ding slapped his forehead and said abruptly.

The number of fish has been counted here. There are exactly 230 fish of all sizes, totaling 868 jin (434 catties).

From a little past eight o'clock until now a little past eleven o'clock, three hours, 868 pounds! This guy is truly talented. He must stay in the factory, become a full-time employee, and be provided with housing right here in the factory, to prevent him from being poached by other factories if he leaves.

Compared to the joy of Director Ding and the others, Li Aiguo was also very surprised. He had been spearing fish for three hours straight without getting tired at all. Was his physical strength really that good?

Jerry also discovered that, apart from feeling unwell after waking up on the first day, which he thought was due to hunger, he felt like he was never full after eating anything. Moreover, he hadn't been to the toilet even once in the past few days.

Li Aiguo also had many questions, but he dared not speak them out, for fear that if he did, his body would be sent for dissection.

Li Aiguo then settled down in Beijing; with the help of the neighborhood committee, all the procedures were completed quickly.

After obtaining the necessary documents, Li Aiguo was officially hired by the steel rolling mill. Director Ding knew that Li Aiguo still needed to study, so he assigned him to the leadership compound, where each household had its own small courtyard and was quite comfortable.

Fifteen-year-old Li Aiguo was assigned to the third year of junior high school. Students in this era attended school five days a week and rested for two days. After finishing junior high school, they could go to work, while those with good grades could continue their studies.

Factory Director Ding personally took Li Aiguo to register at the school. Knowing that Li Aiguo had been studying at home, Factory Director Ding also found books for Li Aiguo from elementary school to the second year of junior high school.

Let him take a look around. As for whether his grades are good or bad, it doesn't matter. He's already working at a steel rolling mill and can drop out of school at any time.

Because Director Ding personally brought him over, many students thought Li Aiguo was a relative, and rumors circulated that Li Aiguo used to be from the countryside, so they didn't talk to him much.

No one bothered him, which suited Li Aiguo perfectly. He studied in class and read books by himself after class, without contacting anyone.

Li Aiguo reads very quickly. He can finish reading the entire curriculum from elementary to junior high school in a week and understand it all. If there were an exam now, he would definitely be the top student in the whole grade.

After finishing the course, Li Aiguo found the teacher's lectures boring, so he decided to go to the library to borrow some books to read.

Li Aiguo's salary is different from that of other purchasing agents. Other purchasing agents take money from the factory to go to the countryside to purchase materials, but Li Aiguo catches fish himself without any cost. The factory buys the materials at a price slightly lower than the market price and settles accounts one by one.

So in less than two weeks, Li Aiguo had quite a bit of money in his hands.

School ended early in the afternoon, at five o'clock. Li Aiguo hadn't cooked for himself or gone to the factory to eat. He found a noodle shop outside, ate a bowl of noodles, and then went to the library.

The Beijing Library has a lot of books. Li Aiguo first went to the textbook section and took out all the high school books to read, regardless of whether they were for humanities or sciences.

Having a photographic memory is a real waste of that ability if you don't study hard.

After finishing his university books, Li Aiguo began reading some skill-related books. At first, many of them were in other languages, but for Li Aiguo, that was just a matter of a few days.

After that, apart from going to school every day and catching fish on Saturdays and Sundays, Li Aiguo spent the rest of his time in the library. Some people thought that he went to the library every day and had become stupid from reading so much.

(End of this chapter)